Earthworking machines



Dec. 13, 1966 R. G. LE TOURNEAU 3,2

EARTHWORKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 14, 1963 INVENTOR. n5 fiaefi 5% %%memUnited States Patent 3,290,805 EARTHWORKING MACHINES Robert G.LeTourneau, P.0. Box 2307, Longview, Tex. Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No.316,003 4 Claims. (Cl. 37126) My invention relates generally toearthworking machines, and more particularly to self-propelled earthWorking machines capable of digging, moving and distributing largequantities of earth materials.

The general object of my invention is to provide an improved latchingarrangement and mechanism for coupling the load-carrying buckets of aself-propelled earthworking machine which is of the multiple telescopingbuckets type.

Another object of my invention is to provide latching mechanism for thepurpose above-mentioned, which mechanism shall accomplish securecoupling of adjacent buckets and yet allow them to be easily uncoupledunder load conditions.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description taken in accordance with the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the left side of aself-propelled earthworking machine, which utilizes the latchingarrangement and mechanism of my invention in accordance with a preferredembodiment thereof.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the buckets of the machine ofFIG. 1 shown in phantom with portions thereof removed so as to moreclearly show the latching arrangement and mechanism of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic view of the bottom portions of aplurality of telescoped buckets showing the latching arrangement andmechanism all in the latched position; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one latch mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a selfpropelledearthworking machine 11, including a front body portion 13, a rear bodyportion 15, and a middle or main body portion 17.

The front body portion 13 is pivotally connected to the front end of themiddle or main body portion 17 by means of a pair of vertically disposedball and socket arrangements (not shown), and the front body portion 13is supported upon an axle and a pair of electric motordriven wheels 19,21. A directional steering gear-motor 23, having an output pinion 25, ismounted atop the front body portion 13 in such a locale and in such amanner that the output pinion engages a sector gear 27 which is fixed tothe front end portion of the main or middle body portion 17.

The rear body portion 15 includes a chassis or frame portion 29 which issupported upon a bogey-type axle and electric motor-driven wheelarrangements 31. An electric power generating plant 33 is mounted on therear body portion 29, as shown in FIG. 1. The rear body portion 15 isfixedly connected to the rear end portion of the middle or main bodyportion 17, so that there is no relative movement therebetween. Anoperators control station and control console 35 is located in anelevated position at the front end of the rear body portion 15.

The middle or main body portion 17 is an articulated structurecomprising a forward middle body portion 37 and a rear middle bodyportion 39. The forward. and rear rear middle body portion 39. Theforward and rear midd e body portions 37, 39, respectively are pivotallyconnected together by means of a ball and socket arrangement 41 locatedon each side of the machine 11; the left-side ball and socketarrangement 41 being shown in FIG. 1. The rear middle body portion 39comprises an open rectangular frame structure having a pair of spacedparallel longitudinal side girders 43, 45 and a transverse rear endgirder 46 fixedly connecting the rear ends of the respectivelongitudinal side girders 43, 45. A pair of upwardly and frontwardlyextending arms 47, 49 are suitably fixed to the front end portions ofthe longitudinal side girders 43, 45. The upper extremities of the arms47, 49 are fixed both to a transversely extending yoke member 51 and tothe ends of a pair of converging arms 53, 55 which are fixed to andsupport a pinion gear housing 57. An electric motor-driven gear-motor59, having an output pinion 61 enclosed by the housing 57, is suitablymounted onto the housing and the output pinion is disposed to engage theteeth of a length of rack 63 which is pivotally connected at one end 65to the forward middle body portion 37. The rack 63 is free to movewithin the housing 57 in response to movement of the pinion 61.

Near the front end of the rear middle body portion 39, there is animmovable load-carrying bucket 67 which is located between and isfixedly connected to the side girders 43, 45. The front edge of thefixed or immovable bucket 67 is provided with a blade 69 which projectsdownward and frontward therefrom. An apron 71 is pivotally mounted inconventional fashion on the arms 47, 49. An arcuate rack 73, which isfixed to the front face of the apron 71, is driven by a suitably mountedelectric motor-driven gear motor 75. Suitably disposed within the fixedbucket 67 there are first, second and third movable buckets 79, 81 and83 respectively. Each movable bucket fits conveniently and is slideablewithin the next larger bucket. That is, the third movable bucket 83 cantelescope within the second movable bucket 81; the second movable bucket81 can telescope within the first movable bucket 79; and the firstmovable bucket 79 can telescope within the fixed bucket 67. The lowerfront edge of the first movable bucket is suitably reinforced by atransversely extending bar-like member (not shown) which also maintains,in spaced apart relation, the inner surface of the fixed bucket 67 fromthe outer surface of the first movable bucket 79. So, too, the rear edgeof the fixed bucket 67 is suitably reinforced by a single transverselyextending bar-like member 85, which is fixed as by welding to the innersurface of the fixed bucket, as shown in FIG. 3. In like manner, thereare suitable reinforcing and spacing bars on both the front and rearedges of the second and third movable buckets 81, 83 respectively. Thesebar-like members 85 serve as travel-stop means for each immediatelyadjacent telescoping bucket, and for a reciprocable tailgate 87 which isdisposed to move by means of a powered rack 89, longitudinally withinthe third movable bucket 83 as well as longitudinally of the machine 11.There is mounted on the rear end portion of the rear middle body portion39 an electric motor-driven gear-reduction 91 having an output pinionwhich drivingly engages the rack 89.

On the lower outer surface of the fixed bucket 67 there is mountedgenerally along the central axis and adjacent.

the rearward edge thereof, a latch roller keeper 93 comprising awheel-like member 93a revolvably mounted on a shaft 93b (see FIG. 4).The roller keeper central shaft 93b is fixed at one end to the bucket 67and to a support plate 95 at the other end; the support plate 95 beingfixedly mounted, in a suitable manner, in spaced parallel relation toand beneath the bottom surface of the fixed bucket bar 99 fixedlymounted on the rear edge portion of the first movable bucket 79. Similarsupport plates 101, 103 and reinforcing bar members 105, 107 are mountedand fixed adjacent the rear edge portions of the second and thirdmovable buckets 81, 83, as may be observed by referring to FIG. 3.Similar latch roller keepers 109,

111 are mounted in the same general manner and location on the outersurfaces of the first and second movable buckets 79, 81 respectively, asshown in FIG. 3. Adjacent the latch roller keepers 109, 111 there ismounted on the first and second movable buckets 79, 81 a pivotable latchhook assembly 113, 115 respectively. Likewise, another similar latchhook assembly 117 is pivotally mounted on the underneath side of thethird movable bucket 83. A typical latch hook assembly 113 is delineatedin FIG. 4 and it comprises a generally triangular shaped plate member119, which is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 121 in one corner portion123. One other corner portion is shaped as a hook 125 that is adaptableto cooperate with the roller portion 93a of the roller keeper 93. At theother corner 127, there is fixedly mounted a trip lever 129 whichextends generally perpendicular to the plane of the plate member 119 fora purpose to be described hereinafter. When the typical latch hookassembly 117, for example, is mounted on the underneath side of thethird movable bucket 83, the hook 125 engages the typical roller keeper111 which is fixedly mounted on the underneath side of the adjacent orsecond movable bucket 81. A spring 131, or any other suitable resilientdevice, is suitably fixed at one end to the corner 127, and, at theother end, to an L-shaped support member 130 fixed to the underneathside of the third movable bucket 83, in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Thespring 131 is so disposed that it urges the hook 125 into engagementwith the typical roller keeper 111, as may be noticed by referring toFIG. 4. Moreover, when the latch hook assembly 117 is mounted, asdescribed, the trip lever 129 projects upward through a notch 133 in thetransverse reinforcing bar 107, as may be seen in FIG. 3, and through anarcuate slot (not shown) in the bottom plate of the third movable bucket83. The trip lever 129 projects through the bottom plate a distancewhich is sufficient to engage and be actuated by the tailgate 87 when itapproaches the extreme right hand end of its travel, as viewed in FIG.2. The other latch hook assemblies 113, 115 are similarly made andsituated on the buckets 79, 81 respectively.

To understand the action of the latching arrangement and mechanism ofthe present invention, it will be convenient to refer initially to FIGS.2 and 4. It is assumed that all of the buckets are telescoped initially,as shown in FIG. 1, and that the machine is operating and loading earthmaterial into the third movable bucket. At the same time, the tailgate87 is being moved rearwardly, by actuating the gear-motor driven rack89, as the material is being loaded. When the tailgate 87 approaches,but just prior to reaching, the limit of its travel in the bucket 83, itengages the trip bar 129 causing the latch hook-plate 119 to pivot aboutthe pin 121. The pivot motion of the hook-plate moves the hook portion125 clockwise from the over-center latched position, shown in FIG. 4.Now, then, the tailgate 87 engages the transverse bar 85 and this urgesthe third movable bucket to move longitudinally, and, since the hookportion 125 has been moved from its initial over-center latchedposition, there is no restraintimpressed upon the third movable bucket.The roller keeper 111 rotates and the hook portion 125 of the latch hookassembly becomes disengaged. It should be noted that the hook plate 119is maintained in the position to which it rotates until the tailgatemoves frontward, during the machine unloading cycle. When this occurs,the spring 131 urges the hook plate to pivot again to its initialposition and the trip lever 129 engages the notch 133 in the transversereinforcing member 107. When the third movable bucket telescopes intothe second movable 4* bucket, the roller keeper 111 engages the outerrounded portion of the hook and the latch plate pivots, as may benecessary, to cooperate with the roller keeper, as it was originally.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the hook portion 125 of thelatch hook assembly, and the roller keeper 111 cooperating with it, areso disposed that, when they are in the latched position, as shown inFIG. 4, the hook portion 125 is maintained in an over-center latchedposition by the spring 131. The latch arrangement, by virtue of theover-center feature, will sustain a longitudinal pull on the latcharrangement, or on the bucket to which it is attached, without becomingunlatched. Only when the tailgate, or a reinforcing bar on the bottom ofthe front edge of a respective one of the movable buckets, engages andpivots the trip lever 129 about the pin 121, will the latch hook 125become disengaged from the roller keeper 111, so as to allow the innerbucket to move longitudinally. It will be understood that very littleforce is required to pivot the trip lever 129 and that very littlemovement of the plate 119 causes the hook portion 125 and the rollerkeeper 111 to become disengaged. Thus, the latch arrangement andmechanism of my invention accomplishes secure coupling of adjacentbuckets and yet provides positive and easy uncoupling action even underheavy load conditions.

Of course, it should be readily apparent that the principles of thepresent invention may be readily and conveniently applied to similarearthworking machines which may have more movable buckets or less thanthe number described and shown herein.

While I have shown my invention in only one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

I claim:

1. In combination with an earthworking machine having a main frame, apowered tailgate and including a plurality of longitudinally movableload-carrying buckets telescopable within each other and within a fixedbucket supported on said frame, a bucket latching arrangement andmechanism comprising:

(a) a rotatable roller keeper mounted underneath and adjacent the rearedge of each of said buckets except the innermost movable bucket;

(b) a pivotable latching hook mounted underneath each said movablebucket adjacent the rearward edge thereof, said latch hook beingdisposed to engage and cooperate with one of said roller keepers mountedon the immediately adjacent outer bucket when each of said buckets istelescoped within another bucket;

(c) resilient bias means for maintaining each said latching hook in acooperative over-center latched relation with its respective rollerkeeper; and

(d) means responsive respectively to rearward movement of said movablebuckets and said tailgate for pivotally moving said respective latch topivot and disengage same from its cooperative roller keeper immediatelyprior to the rearward movement of a respective said movable bucket.

2. In combination with an earthworking machine having a main frame, apowered tailgate and including a plurality of longitudinally movableload-carrying buckets telescopable within each other and within a fixedbucket supported on said frame, a bucket latching arrangement andmechanism comprising:

(a) a rotatable roller keeper fixedly mounted on each I of said bucketsexcept the innermost movable bucket;

(b) a latching hook pivotally mounted on each of said movable bucketsand engageable with the one of said roller keepers mounted on theimmediately adjacent outer bucket when said buckets are telescopedtogether;

(c) bias means engaging said latching hook and urging it into acooperative over-center relation with its respective roller keeper; and

(d) means responsive respectively to rearward movement of said movablebuckets and said tailgate for 5 pivotally moving said respectivelatching hook and disengaging same from its roller keeper prior to thelongitudinal movement of the respective movable bucket.

(a) a rotatable roller keeper mounted on the fixed bucket; 15

(b) a latching hook pivotally mounted on the movable bucket, said hookbeing adapted to cam into engagement with the rotatable roller keeperwhen said buckets are telescopically closed;

(c) biasing means engaging said latching hook for urging said hook intocooperative over-center latched relationship with said roller keeperwhen said buckets are telescopically closed; and

((1) means responsive respectively to rearward movement of a saidmovable bucket and said tailgate for pivotally moving and disengagingsaid latching hook from the rotatable roller keeper to permit arespective said movable bucket to telescopically open.

4. In an earthworking machine having a fixed load carrying bucket, apowered tailgate and at least one movable load carrying buckettelescopically mounted within the fixed bucket the improvement whichcomprises:

(a) a rotatable roller keeper mounted on one of said buckets;

(b) a latching hook pivotally mounted on the other of said buckets, saidhook being adapted to cam into engagement with the rotatable rollerkeeper when said buckets are telescopically closed;

(0) biasing means engaging said latching hook for urging said hook intocooperative over-center latched relationship within the roller keeperwhen said buckets are telescopically closed; and

(d) means responsive respectively to rearward movement of a said movablebucket and said tailgate for pivotally moving and disengaging saidlatching hook from the rotatable roller keeper to permit a respectivesaid movable bucket to telescopically open.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,530,779 3/ 1925LeTourneau 37126 1,598,864 9/1926 LeTourneau 37ll8 2,229,103 1/1941LeTourneau 37-126 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM A. SMITH,III, Examiner.

4. IN AN EARTHWORKING MACHINE HAVING A FIXED LOAD CARRYING BUCKETS, A POWERED TAILGATE AND AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE LOAD CARRYING BUCKET TELESCOPICALLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE FIXED BUCKET THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A ROTATABLE ROLLER KEEPER MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID BUCKETS; (B) A LATCHING HOOK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID BUCKETS, SAID HOOK BEING ADAPTED TO CAM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROTATABLE ROLLER KEEPER WHEN SAID BUCKETS ARE TELESCOPICALLY CLOSED; (C) BIASING MEANS ENGAGING SAID LATCHING HOOK FOR URGING SAID HOOK INTO COOPERATIVE OVER-CENTER LATCHED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE ROLLER KEEPER WHEN SAID BUCKETS ARE TELESCOPICALLY CLOSED; AND (D) MEANS RESPONSIVE RESPECTIVELY TO REARWARD MOVEMENT OF A SAID MOVABLE BUCKET AND SAID TAILGATE FOR PIVOTALLY MOVING AND DISENGAGING SAID LATCHING HOOK FROM THE ROTATABLE ROLLER KEPPER TO PERMIT A RESPECTIVE SAID MOVABLE BUCKET TO TELESCOPICALLY OPEN. 